Baling-press.



PATBNTED JAN. 16, 1906.

C. E. BOWER.

BALING PRESS.

APPLIGATION FILED APR 17, 1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

No. 810,029. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

G. E. BOWER.

B'ALING PRESS.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA PB..17,1905.

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BALlNG-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed April 1'7, 1905. Serial No. 256,138.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. Bowen, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baling-Presses; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others. skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to improvements in baling-presses, but more specifically to the mechanism employed for operat ing the plunger, whereby the baling act is accomplished.

The principal feature of my invention consists of a flexible connection between the swing-lever and the head of the plungerbeam, whereby the power necessary in the baling operation is advantageously applied. In my improved mechanism I employ a triplever mounted on the power-shaft and acting on the head of the plunger-beam and the swing-lever, whereby the said beam is forced forwardly to its limit of movement and then released, the return movement being accomplished by virtue of the recoil of a spring placed under tension during the forward movement of the plunger in the usual manner.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, as well as the function it is intended to perform, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a baling-press shown in connection with the operating mechanism equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top view of the operating mechanism shown on a larger scale, the baling-chamber being broken away, parts only of the plunger-beam and the bottom beam being shown. Fig. 3 is a top view of a portion of the upper part of the mechanism removed. This view, is obtained by taking a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking downwardly, and with the parts in the same relative position as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 isaview similar to Fig. 3, but with the mechanism in a different relative positionthat is to say, with the plunger forced partly forward, as during the baling operation. Fig. 5 is another view of the same, but showing the plunger-beam at its forward limit of movement ust before it is released by the triplever. Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged views taken on the lines 6 6 and 7 7, respectively, of Fig. 1 looking downwardly. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation illustrating the means for gradually stopping the plunger-beam during its return or backward movement.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the balingchamber; 6, the bed-plate of the power mechanism; 7, the bottom beam connecting the baling-chamber with the bed-plate 6; 8, the plunger-beam, and 9 the head of the lastnamed beam, which is provided with a curved recess or pocket 10, formed in its forward extremity. The power mechanism is provided with a top plate 12, and the top and bottom plates 6 and 12 are connected by the arch-bar 13, which extends on both sides of the power-shaft 1 1, the latter being journaled in the top and bottom plates. The upper extremity of the power-shaft engages a U-bolt 15, its two arms being surrounded by edge of the top plate 12 and washers applied to the said arms and held in place by nuts 17.

and has a tendency to relieve the mechanism from undue concussion or jar during the sudden return movement of the plunger-beam incident to the recoil of the spring and also the recoil of the compressed charge in the baling-chamber as soon as the plunger is released from the trip-lever.

Mounted upon the power-shaft and horizontally disposed in the usual manner is a trip-lever 18, which is rigid with the shaft and extends an equal distance on both sides thereof. In each extremity of this lever is journaled an antifrictional roller 19. These rollers are adapted to alternately engage the pocket 10 in the forward extremity of the plunger-beam head, and they are also adapted to act on a swing-lever 20. pivotally connected with the frame, as shown at 21. This framework may be said to be composed of the arch-bar 13, the top and bottom plates 6 and 12, and a circular bar 22, extending between the opposite extremities of the arch-beam and forming a strengthening brace therefor. The point 21 where the swing-lever is pivoted or fulcrumed on the This lever is coil-springs 16, interposed between the rear This arrangement gives a limited degree of elasticity to the bearing of the power-shaft IIO frame is close to the arch-bar extremity on the side of the power-shaft opposite from the head of the plunger-beam. The trip-lever is interposed between the plunger-beam and the swing-lever. This swing-lever is flexibly connected with the plunger-beam head both above and below the trip-lever. As shown in the drawings, this connection is made by sprocket chains or cables 23, whose extremities areconnected with the swing-lever at points 24 and 25, suitably separated, one of these points being close to the extremity of the swing-lever remote from its fulcrum 21, while the point 24 is intermediate the fulcrum and the point 25. Each of these chains 23 passes around 'a sprocket-pinion 26, mounted on the plunger-beam head 9. These two chains are exactly alike and are connected with the swing-lever in precisely the same manner, except that one is connect ed with the upper surface and the other with thelower surface of the lever. I

The topplate or the upper part of the frame is connected with the bottom beam by a curved brac'e-bar27 for strengthening purposes. The plunger-beam 8 is connected with the rear part of the power-frame by means of a coil-spring 28. Its connection with the frame isshown at 29 and with the plunger-beam at 30. Mounted on the plunger-beam at a suitable point in the rear of the power frame is a wedge-shaped block 3], which extends below the beam and has a stem projecting above the beam, around which is placed a coil-spring 32, held in place from above by a nut 33. This block is made fast to one extremity of a leaf-spring 34, attached to the plunger-beam on'its lower side. The forward extremity of this spring is made fast to the plunger-beam, while its 'rear extremity is free from the beam, whereby the block 3] is allowed to move downwardly in opposition to the two springs 32 and 34. The function of this mechanism is to gradually stop the return movement of the plungerbeam, and this is accomplished by the engagement of the wedge-shaped part of the block with the lower side of the curved framebar 22 as the plunger-beam approaches its forward limit of movement.

Made fast to the upper extremity of the power-shaft is a power-lever 35. Connected with this lever on one side of the shaft is the sweep-arm 36, while on the other side of the shaft is the tie-rod 37, connecting the powerlever with the sweep in the usual manner.

My, improved apparatus, as shown in the drawings, is provided with front and rear axles 38 and 39, whereby the apparatus may be mounted on ground-wheels. (Not shown.)

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improved mechanism will be readily understood. As illustrated in the drawings, the mechanism is intended to be operated by a team hitched to' the outer extremity of the sweep 36, the team traveling around in a circle, whereby the power-shaft and trip-lever are rotated. Assuming that the parts of the operating mechanism are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the operation will be as follows: One extremity of the trip-lever 18 has just commenced to act on the extremity of the swing-lever remote from its fulcrum. (See Fig. 3.) Now as the power-shaft continues its rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the swing-lever is moved outwardly and the "rearward movement simultaneously imparted to the plunger-beam by virtue of the flexible connection between'the swing-lever and the plunger-beam head. Now when the parts have reached the position shown in Fig. 4 one roller 19 of the triplever has entered the pocket 10 in the'head of the plunger-beam, whereby the trip -lever acts directly upon the forward extremity or head of the said beam. At about thissame instant the trip-lever becomes disengaged from the swing-lever, and as'the powershaft continues its rotation the plunger -'beam is forced to its rearward limit of movement, as shown'in Fig. 5, and as soon as this occurs the continued movement of the power-shaft and trip-lever disengages the trip-lever from the plunger-beam head and releases the plungerbeam, when the latter immediately returns to its forward limit of movement under the combined influence of the impetus given it by i the reaction or recoil of the compressed charge in the baling-chamber on the plunger and the recoil of the coil-spring 28', whichha's been placed under tension by the rearward movement of the plunger-beam. By'virtue of this construction and arrangement I am able to use a relatively short triplever, thus giving me an important advantage over those constructions which require a relatively-long triplever. It is evident that the shorter the trip-lever as compared with the'length of the sweep to which the power is applied the greater will be the advantage in the application of the power. By virtue of 'my improved construction I obtain a relativelylong plunger movement without the use of excessive power.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a baling-press, the combination with a baling-chamber and plunger-beam, of a power-shaft provided with a trip-lever, a swing-lever 'fulcrumed on the frame, and a flexible device connecting the swing lever and the plunger-beam, and acting to move the latter in the direction of pressure.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of aplunger-beam, a powershaft, a trip-lever fast on the power-shaft, a swing-lever fulcrumed on thefra'me, the triplever being arranged to act onthe swing-lever and the plunger-beam, and a flexible connection between the swing-lever and the forward extremity of the plunger-beam, the said connection passing around the power-shaft which is en aged by said connection during a portion of t e forward movement of the plunger.

3. In operating mechanism for balingpresses, the combination of a plunger-beam, a power-shaft, a trip-lever mounted on the power-shaft and having antifrictional rollers in its extremities, the forward extremity of the plungerbeam being provided with a pocket adapted to receive the roller extremities of the trip-lever, a swing-lever fulcrumed on the frame on the opposite side of the powershaft from the plunger-beam, and a connection between the swing-lever and the forward extremity of the plunger-beam, the said connection comprising a flexible device whose extremities are connected with the swinglever, the said flexible device also passing around a suitable bearing with which the plunger-beam is provided, the flexible device eing also in osition to engage the powershaft, as the p linger-beam moves forwardly. 4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a plunger-beam, a powershaft, a trip-lever, a swing-lever and a connection between the swing-lever and the forward extremity of the plunger-beam, comprising two fiexible devices having their extremities connected with the swing lever above and below, the said devices also passing around suitable bearings with which the plunger-beam is provided, substantially as described 5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a plunger-beam, of a power-shaft provided with a triplever, a swing-lever suitably fulcrumed on,the frame, and a flexible connection between the swing lever and the plunger-beam comprising a chain and a wheel, the extremities of the chain being connected with one member and the wheel being mounted on the other memher, the chain passing around the wheel for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE E. BOWER.

I/Vitnesses:

DENA NELSON, EDWARD WEISS. 

